Yep, my home FLOODED! Not like the recent floods in Indonesia, the Carolinas, or Houston. Blessings to all those victims!

Instead, the more common type of flooding disaster struck our home in mid-July:  

That’s when a pipe burst under the sink in our upstairs master bathroom, spewing water for hours…water that poured down the stairs, through our living room floors and kitchen light sockets, destroying over half of our home.

It has been devastating!

Well aware of the dangers of mold invasion, the disaster cleanup crew immediately tore out our walls and floors and we moved into a hotel for the first month and are now living in an apartment until mid-November.

NOT what I’d planned for the rest of my summer and fall!

I’d planned to write, cook up a storm and share mouthwatering recipes and pics of my favorite dishes like Summer Succotash, Perfect Pesto, Leek, Zucchini and Fennel sauté and more.

Instead, I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in hotels and restaurants for a month!

And let me tell you, it is HARD for a cook and functional medicine doctor (who relies on nutrient-rich breakfasts) to eat institutional eggs, funky hash browns without a hint of the rainbow in sight! ARGH!

Mostly it was the STRESS of displacement, inconvenience and need to reschedule my plans that got to me. I guess it took a disaster to admit I went down the rabbit hole: struggling with overwhelm, trying to carve out enough time for self-care between my practice, family and an unplanned move and construction project.

It’s taken all the resources I’ve cultivated over my career to get through this challenge. Luckily, I kicked into the “PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH” mode:

And now we’re over half way through... and on our way back up!

Moral of the story #1 (according to State Farm): replace the metal mesh-coated pipes under your sinks that carry water from the wall to your faucets EVERY TEN YEARS. Replace all of them…not just the ones under the kitchen sink.

Moral of the story #2 (according to me): when disaster strikes, put on your big girl pants, be patient, get creative and make some new plans!

So, I’m spending the fall writing my new online course on Healthy Aging: The Natural Path to Regain Your Energy, Reverse Chronic Disease and Create the Future You Desire!

While dealing with the stress of this disaster, I re-read my “Essential Guide To Supercharge Your Brain: Boost Memory, Improve Focus, Clear Brain Fog and Reduce Your Risk of Cognitive Decline” and put it to work for me.

(In case you missed it, I launched this guide on July 5th, when you were hopefully soaking up the sun on vacation mode).

While this guide focuses on preventing cognitive decline as we age, it’s totally applicable for kids returning to school and adults getting back into the busiest cycle of the year.

News flash: it’s what we do in our 30’s - 60’s that determines our risk of most chronic health problems going forward.

In other words, creating positive change now pays off big time by preventing an array of nasty problems later in life.

So don’t wait, grab your copy of my Essential Guide eBook here.

And stay tuned: I hope to be back in my kitchen before Thanksgiving and will share more recipes, vital health info and updates on my Healthy Aging e-course.

Oh, and practice a little prevention in your home: change out those pipes before disaster strikes!

In health,

Dr. Sally

PS: I’ve been posting on Instagram, so please follow me on there and on Facebook @drsallyskitchen!